Saving the lives of mothers and children

Place: Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDate: 29–30 January 2013

WHO, UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund are jointly organizing a high-level meeting: Saving the lives of mothers and children: accelerating progress towards achieving MDGs 4 and 5 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

It is estimated that 923 000 children under 5 years old and around 39 000 women of childbearing age die every year in this region as a result of common childhood diseases and pregnancy-related complications. Mortality levels are particularly high in poor, rural and underserved areas, among malnourished children and pregnant adolescents. There is thus an urgent need to increase efforts to implement effective interventions to achieve the MDG targets.

High-level delegates are expected to attend from all Member States in the Eastern Mediterranean, including the ten priority countries identified under the Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health: Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.